TRUTH BE TOLD

“A superb, vibrant and insightful documentary on the socialization into dogmatic thought, on emotional and social control through ideological “truth” and on pervasive forms of alienation. But this masterpiece is also about transcendence and hope, embodied by former Jehovah Witnesses who point the ways to liberation and emancipation.” 

— Alexandre Duchêne, Professor of the Sociology of Language, University of Fribourg.

“This look behind the Watchtower is a valuable contribution…” TRUTH BE TOLD “...is a candid documentary [that] shows enough of the inner workings to serve as a warning.”

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— Professor Daniel Dennett, Tufts University

“I left the Jehovah’s Witnesses at fifteen, and Gregorio Smith’s newdocumentary TRUTH BE TOLD will show you why. His interviews with formerJehovah’s Witnesses movingly convey the unrelenting deprivations,isolation, and exploitation endured by children who are raised in “TheTruth,” as Witnesses call their religion, and reveal the long-lasting effects of a fear-based faith upon the adults they’ve become. Riveting,indispensable, and tremendously sad.”

— Joy Castro, author of The Truth Book: A Memoir

“An eye-opening and heart-wrenching documentary that immerses us in how it feels to be ostracized by one’s family, loved ones, and community.” 

— Professor Kipling D. Williams, Purdue University

“This powerful documentary shines a light on the extreme control of church elders over the lives of JW congregants - it exposes the controlling environment that our JW clients lived under when they became victims of sexual abuse during their childhood.”

“Amazing documentary!! I felt like you were telling my story to the tee. I was raised Catholic until the age of 10 when all of a sudden my mother switched and I had to leave everything behind. I decided to get out at the age of 21. My parents are still in the organization. My dad is an elder and my mom a regular pioneer.

My husband was able to see through someone else’s eyes what I’ve been trying to explain for years and he has a new understanding of my past life. Thank You so much for making this documentary on the real truth. Within the first 10 minutes I began to cry because I know I did the right thing and I know I’m not alone in this. Thank You!”

“This was a completely accurate portrayal of my childhood and life. I will leave thinking about forgiveness and education. Thank you to the filmmakers and the interviewees.”

“I bought and saw “Truth Be Told” when it first came out. It was absolutely beautiful. Gregorio Smith has managed to tell the stories in a masterful way. I hope to see future documentaries from him on any topic.

If you have someone in your life – i.e. friends, significant others, etc. that want to understand what your life was like as JW, this documentary is invaluable. I saw it with my girlfriend and, until she saw the documentary, she really did not fully grasp what it was like to be JW and how that impacts you the rest of your life, relationships, perspective, etc. We cried together. We laughed together. Great film.”

“This was an amazing movie. If you are just out of the organization, want more info on the Jehovah’s Witnesses, or are just looking for a heartfelt program this is the movie for you. It resonated deeply with me and I am thankful to know that I am not the only one having certain feelings!”

“This upsetting documentary reveals the powerful memes that the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses uses to propagate itself - as well as memes that prevent people from leaving. The truth trick, as I’ve called it, is just one of many.”

“This is a powerful documentary about a particular form of fundamentalist religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses, that involves millions of adherents around the world. Although the Jehovah’s Witness faith is socially accepted in most western countries as part of the mainstream religious spectrum, this film clearly demonstrates its reliance on techniques that are characteristic of what we generally label as cults: thought control aimed at the suppression of creativity, independent thought and critical reflection; demands for strict behavioural obedience; dogmatic dependence on scripture as the only reliable source of truth; and deliberate isolation of adherents from others who do not share the faith.

”The speakers in the film were reared as Jehovah’s Witnesses, but left the faith in adulthood, either of their own volition or as a result of being “disfellowshipped” - excommunicated - because of having departed in some manner from the church’s strict teachings and behavioural code. Their articulate recounting of their indoctrination in childhood and of the pressures to obey and conform give vivid testimony to the power of dogmatic, fundamentalist belief systems. One of the most potent mechanisms used by Jehovah’s Witness’s is the threat of ostracism: leaving or being pushed out of the church leads to “shunning,” through which one is thoroughly rejected by one’s family members, friends, and indeed by one’s entire social network.

Remarkably, despite the way in which they were raised, the speakers present as thoughtful and reasonable4 individuals who are able to dispassionately describe their involvement as Jehovah’s Witnesses. They appear to have transcended the cognitive and emotional and behavioural limits that had been imposed on them by their church, and have taken advantage of their new freedom to think and act in positive and independent ways.

I highly recommend this film as an important window into the world of dogmatic fundamentalism.”

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— Professor James Alcock, PhD, C.Psych. Department of Psychology Glendon College, York University